The Ottomans and the Mamluks: Imperial Diplomacy and Warfare in the Islamic World

The relationship between the Ottoman Empire and the Mamluk Sultanate was a complex interplay of diplomacy and warfare that shaped the Islamic world. Initially, from the 14th to 15th centuries, the Mamluks, rulers of Egypt and Syria since 1250, treated the rising Ottomans with condescension, maintaining diplomatic superiority as guardians of Mecca and Medina. By the late 15th century, tensions grew, leading to the inconclusive Ottoman–Mamluk War of 1485–1491. External threats later prompted cautious cooperation, though rivalry persisted.

The decisive conflict came with the Ottoman–Mamluk War of 1516–1517. The Ottomans, under Selim I, defeated the Mamluks at Marj Dabiq (1516) and Ridaniya (1517), leveraging superior firearms and artillery against the Mamluks’ traditional cavalry. This ended the Mamluk Sultanate, incorporating Egypt, the Levant, and the Hejaz into the Ottoman Empire, with the Ottomans gaining control of holy cities and establishing the Ottoman Caliphate.

The war shifted power dynamics, making the Ottomans the dominant Islamic power, though Mamluk culture lingered regionally. The conflict was driven by political and economic ambitions—control of trade routes and religious legitimacy—rather than religious differences, despite both being Sunni Muslim. Earlier diplomacy had fostered cultural exchanges, influencing both courts. Cihan Yüksel Muslu’s book highlights this diplomatic focus, though it predates the final conquest.